Valparaiso got a
great pitching performance for the second straight day, this time by Damon McCormick (Louisville, Ky./Saint
Xavier H.S.), but the Crusader offensive again was unable to produce a run as
the Brown and Gold fell 1-0 to Creighton on Saturday at the Simmons Cooper
Complex in Edwardsville, Ill.

“Damon was outstanding
today,” head coach Tracy Woodson
said. “We’re just struggling with the
bats. We have to score runs. If we get pitching like the last two days, we’ll
win games.”

McCormick went the
distance despite the loss (0-4), allowing just three hits and did not walk a
batter over nine innings while striking out five, but a fifth inning run by the
Bluejays proved to be the difference.
The complete game was the fourth of his career for the senior and the
first this season.

Creighton (14-4)
scored the game’s only run in the fifth following a lead-off double by Trever
Adams. After a sacrifice bunt advance
him to third, Nick Judkins lifted a sacrifice fly to center to plate the run.

After a single in
the first, McCormick retired 10 batters in a row before the double in the
fifth. Following the two-base hit, he
again set down 11 more Bluejays in order before a two-out single in the ninth.

Jonas Dufak was just
as dominating on the mound for Creighton, allowing just two Crusader singles in
the game. He walked won while striking
out 13 for the shutout victory (3-0).

Kyle Gaedele (Arlington Heights, Ill./Rolling Meadows
H.S.) had Valpo’s first hit, a single in the fourth. Corey
Thibault (Tustin, Calif./Foothill
H.S.) added a lead-off single in the sixth, advanced to second on an error, but
was thrown out trying to reach third in the Crusaders’ only scoring opportunity
of the game.

Valparaiso (1-17)
will wrap up action for the weekend on Sunday afternoon at the Simmons Cooper
Complex playing host SIU Edwardsville in a rematch of Friday night’s 1-0
Cougars victory. First pitch is set for
noon.